Sweetgum fruit (LU LU TONG)-Liquidambar formosana-Fructus Liquidambaris

Sweetgum fruit (LU LU TONG)

Liquidambar formosana Hance (Fam. Hamamelidaceae)

Pharmaceutical Name:

Fructus Liquidambaris

Botanical Name:

Liquidambar formosana Hance (Fam. Hamamelidaceae)

Common Name:

Sweetgum fruit

Part Used:

Ripe seed

Fructus Liquidambaris is produced mainly in the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong. The fruit is collected in winter and dried in sunlight for use.

Properties  Taste & Meridians:

Bitter in flavor, neutral in property, acts on the Liver and Stomach channels.

Functions:

Dispels Wind and reactivates channels, causes diuresis, and removes Dampness.

Indications & Combinations:

1. For arthralgia with numbness and muscular contracture, it is used with Radix Angelicae Pubescentis (Du Huo), Rhizoma Notoperygii (Qiang Huo), and Caulis Spatholobi ( Ji Xue Teng).

2. For edema, stomach pain, and amenorrhea.

3. For carbuncles and eczema, it is used with Periostracum Cicadae (Chan Tui) and Cortex Dictamni (Bai Xian Pi).

Dosage and administration:

4.5–9 g, decocted in water for an oral dose, or ground into a powder.

Precautions:

It is contraindicated during pregnancy.

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